I asked Legion of Christ Father Thomas Williams, an American who has held various leadership positions in Rome for his order, including as dean of theology for its pontifical university, to comment on the future direction of the Legion in the wake of its recent admission of unspecified failings on the part of its founder, Father Marcial Maciel.

Father Williams is familiar to many American television viewers as an analyst for CBS and formerly for NBC. He's also authored a number of theology books.

Here are his responses via email this morning:

Our Sunday Visitor: It cannot have been easy for the Legion to acknowledge flaws in the founder. What precipitated it now?

Father Thomas Williams, L.C.: Shortly after the Vatican's communique of May 19, 2006 [requiring Father Maciel to retire to a private life of penitence and prayer] Father Alvaro Corcuera [Father Maciel's successor as head of the order] began an internal investigation of the charges lodged against Father Maciel. In this investigation, he discovered that Father Maciel had fathered a child, who is now in her early 20s.

OSV: In the public statements so far from the U.S. and Rome spokesmen for the Legion, there has been acknowledgement of the discovery of “surprising and difficult to understand” facts about Father Maciel’s life that were “inappropriate” for a Catholic priest. Leaks from LC/RC sources indicate that those “facts” include at least the fathering of a child. But swirling around are also the original accusations of sexual abuse of seminarians, and revived rumors of drugs and inappropriate use of congregation funds. If the “facts” discovered by the LC leadership were limited only to the mistress, one would think the Legion would make that clear. (The “rights of privacy” argument advanced by Father Scarafoni yesterday frankly rings a little hollow; it is not like the Legion needs to provide names, addresses and phone numbers of those involved.) So is it fair to read the statements as an acknowledgement that some or all of the other allegations are true, or at least suspected?

Father Williams: During the investigation it became clear that some of the charges were patently false (contradiction of dates and places, etc.) while others seemed plausible and even likely. Obviously it is never possible to know for sure what happened in the past. I do not know which of the accusations were more likely true, but what seems evident is that some of them must indeed be true. . . . (read article)

[N.B. from me: Father Thomas Williams, LC, has been a dear friend of mine for many years. I admire him greatly and have always known him to be model priest and a straight-shooter when asked difficult questions. As a spokesman for the Legion, I hope he will not be constrained by folks above him in the ecclesiastical food chain from being completely forthright and courageously honest in explaining what's going on.]

That's right. In this jaw-droppingly offensive and blasphemous new video produced by Link TV, which is funded with Federal money — a.k.a. your tax dollars — the Holy Eucharist has been yet again desecrated before a camera, for the whole world to see.

Reporting on this apparent simulation of the Eucharist, the Catholic League reports today:

On February 3, Link TV featured a three and a half minute video that mocks Catholicism. The media outlet is available as a basic service in more than 31 million homes that receive direct broadcast satellite TV.

The video, “Divine Food,” opens with a priest waking up to a rumbling noise that shakes the religious symbols and statues in his room. He proceeds to a Catholic church where he discovers several wafers near a cup (the implication is that they are consecrated Hosts). In a disrespectful manner, he chews them vigorously and then admonishes the statues that are “looking at him.” He falls asleep in the church and when awakened he is asked to say Mass, which he refuses to do. The priest then makes large wafers out of dough and gives the pancake-like substance (which he calls the “Body of Christ”) to confused parishioners at Communion. The video ends when he drops the remaining “Hosts” into a dirty aquarium.

If this is not bona fide evidence that we are standing at the threshold of a new persecution against the Catholic Church (against Christianity in general), then I can't imagine what could be classified as such.

Here is the video. I warn you, it will make your blood boil — or at least it should:

Say some prayers of reparation to our Lord after watching this video, on behalf of the wicked people who are responsible for producing it and for all those who will laugh along with it.

I once had a long conversation with a convert to the Catholic Church, a woman who used to be a practicing satanist. Among the other things she shared with me about how satanists operate, she declared that they simply don't care about or bother with any group of Christians other than the Catholic Church. The way she put it, “We satanists would frequently pose as Catholics and approach to receive Communion at Mass, so we could pocket the consecrated host and bring it back to our group to profane it.” She said, with tremendous sorrow and remorse, that satanists know exactly Who that is in the Eucharist: Jesus Christ. And that's why they focus their energies on attacking and mocking the Catholic Church.

And this new Link TV video atrocity is another, well-publicized, example of that satantic malice at work.

Are you mad now? Then stand up and make your voice heard on this. Pray for the idiots behind this and then raise some hell about it with all the appropriate parties.

I'm not sure if this is good or bad, since Ol' Andrew typically rails pretty hard against most things Catholic. Anyway, he posted a snippet of my commentary on the recent Legionary crisis to his “Daily Dish” section. Interesting. I appreciate the link. Though, I must confess my abject ignorance about the "Yglesias Award," which he mentions. If anyone knows what that is, please share.

As I sit here and type this post, I still can't believe it, and I'm still shaking a bit. One of my brother priests, one of the finest priests I know, has been named Bishop of Gallup, N.M. this morning. I want to shout it from the rooftops, yet I feel a little sadness too. One of the best priests in our Diocese is leaving, and a personal friend is leaving as well.

Let me give you just a little of the background that I know about Bishop Elect Wall (still can't get used to typing those words!)

Bishop Elect Wall was born on a Native American Reservation in Northern Arizona that is, surprisingly enough, part of the Diocese of Gallup. His parents were school teachers and raised him and his brothers and sister to know, love, and serve God. His father passed away some years ago, but I bet his mother is rejoicing at the family home right now.

Most of his years growing up were in Chandler, Arizona, near Phoenix, and he attended Arizona State University. During his college years, he worked in a retail clothing store.

He attended St. John's Seminary in Camarillo, California, where I met him.

He has served as Parochial Vicar (Associate Pastor) of St. Theresa Parish in Phoenix, Parochial Vicar of St. Timothy Parish in Mesa, Vocation Director for the Diocese of Phoenix, Pastor of St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Phoenix, Vicar of Clergy for the Diocese of Phoenix, and Director of the Mt. Claret Retreat Center in Phoenix.

Bishop Elect Wall is warm, funny, outgoing, athletic, and one of the best 'listeners' I know. He is truly a man of the Church, faithful to the Magisterium, dedicated to the reverent celebration of Mass, and truly a priest for the People of God. I cannot say enough positive things about him, and I know the Diocese of Gallup will be lead by one of the best Bishops in the world.

Congratulations Bishop Elect Wall.

Update - I guess I should refer to him now as Bishop-Elect James S. Wall, it seems more proper and right. My apologies to anyone offended by my calling him "Jim."

Statement of the Diocese of Phoenix

Re: the appointment of Reverend James S. Wall as Bishop of the Diocese of GallupFebruary 5, 2009

The Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI has appointed Reverend James S. Wall, 44, Vicar for Priests for the Diocese of Phoenix, as Bishop of the Diocese of Gallup, New Mexico.

The appointment was announced in Washington, February 5, 2009, by Archbishop Pietro Sambi, apostolic nuncio to the United States.

Bishop-elect Wall succeeds Bishop Donald E. Pelotte, the third Bishop of Gallup, who retired in April of 2008. Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted, Bishop of Phoenix, has been Apostolic Administrator of Gallup since January 2008 and will remain so until Bishop-elect Wall is consecrated and installed.

James S. Wall, son of James A. and Joan L.Wall, was born October 11, 1964, in Ganado, Arizona on the Navajo reservation. He graduated from Chandler High School, Chandler, Arizona and the Arizona State University where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in History. He then earned a Master of Divinity degree from St. John Seminary, Camarillo, California.

He was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Phoenix on June 6, 1998.

Bishop-elect Wall served in several parish assignments in the Diocese of Phoenix including St. Theresa Parish, Phoenix and St. Timothy Parish, Mesa as Parochial Vicar, and St. Thomas the Apostle Parish, Phoenix, as Pastor. He also served as Administrator Pro Tem at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in Glendale. He currently is Vicar of Priests and Director of Mount Claret Retreat Center, Phoenix.

The Diocese of Gallup is comprised of the Apache, Navajo and those parts of the Navajo and Hopi Reservations in Coconino Counties in the State of Arizona; San Juan, McKinley, Catron, Cibola and parts of Rio Arriba, Sandoval, Bernalillo and Valencia Counties in the State of Mexico for a total of 55,468 square miles. The total population of the Diocese is 491,400 people, with 58,292 of them Catholic.

Bishop-elect Wall will continue to serve in the Diocese of Phoenix until his Episcopal consecration at a date yet to be determined.